The Plastic Eating People
by liquerlips
Summary: Escaping hell isn't an easy task... She made to Plastic Beach, but at what price? What has had to be sacrificed?    2D/Noodle     Also, edited and updated version of a previous story.


Murdoc walked along the shore of Plastic Beach, occasionally taking a drag of his cigarette, and kicking bits of garbage. "Jeez, more stuff washes up every day, I tell you…" he grumbled softly to himself. Plastic Beach was, ever so slowly, expanding. Much like a natural island does, except there was _nothing_ natural about Plastic Beach…

He continued to smoke and walk, flicking his cigarette butt into the ocean once he was finished. Just as he reached into his pocket for his pack of "lucky lungs", he tripped on something large-ish.

"Argh!" Murdoc cried out as he face went face-first into a mixture of sand and plastic. Mumbling a stream of curses as he got himself up, he turned to glare at whatever offending object had caused his fall. However (much to his surprise), it was not an object, but… a person. A petite girl (women?) by the looks of it. Her hair was dark blue, and choppy. A cat mask covered her right eye and cheek. She wore a damp white-and-red dress, with black striped stockings. It took him a moment, but he recognized this person.

"Noodle!" he exclaimed. Murdoc whipped his head around. "Oi! Stu-Pot!" he shouted in the general direction of where he last saw him. The tall blue-haired man peeked his head out the entrance of Plastic Beach.

"Wot is it, Mudz? I wasn't try trying to escape or nuthin'…"

"It isn't about that, faceache! Noodle just washed up!"

2D's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "But last I saw her she was chargin' in her cupboard… "

Murdoc rolled his eyes. _Sweet _Satan_ he's thick!_ "No, dullard! I'm talking the _real_ Noodle! Come ovah here, I don't think she's breathin'…"

2D's face lit up, before he thought about Murdoc's last statement. "Wait- she's not breathin'?" He began to panic and rushed towards the two, tripping twice on the way over. Once there, he knelt next to Murdoc and placed a hand over Noodle's chest. A heartbeat, but she definitely wasn't breathing.

"W-wot do we do!" 2D started to nervously tug at his hair.

Murdoc, considerably calmer, placed a hand upon his chin and thought. "I think you're supposed to do that one thing. Eh, wot's it called… CPR!" He smiled triumphantly at remembering what it was.

"I dunno how to do that!" 2D exclaimed frustratingly.

The green-skinned bassist sighed, running a hand through his oily black hair. "Fine." He roughly shoved Stu-Pot out of the way, kneeling in place. "Gotta do everythin' meself…" Murdoc took a deep breath and tilted Noodle's head back. He began to lean over when Noodle took a sharp intake of breath. "Thank Satan…" Murdoc muttered. "That coulda' been awkward." Leaning over, she coughed the water from her lungs. Noodle weakly propped herself up on her elbows, trying to see where she was.

"You awright, luv?" 2D asked, fiddling with the fabric of his red shirt.

"2D…? Murdoc…?" Noodle croaked. With a small groan, she slumped to the ground.

"Is she alright?" Stu-Pot said worryingly, hovering over her.

"She's fine, idjit. Just sleeping." Murdoc scooped her up into his arms with a small huff. "She's 'eavier than I remember…"

"…Or maybe you're just out of shape." 2D muttered, hoping Murdoc wouldn't hear.

He did. You think someone who listened to heavy metal at the_ highest_ volumes in their youth would have worse hearing, but you'd be wrong. "I 'eard that, face-ache!" Murdoc growled while kicking the back of 2-D's knees, causing him to fall forward.

"Ow…" he mumbled as got back to feet, brushing the dirt off his knees.

2D followed behind the scowling Satanist as he entered the lift. Murdoc shifted Noodle's weight to one arm as he pushed a button, quickly shifting it back before he dropped her. Stu-Pot hummed to himself as the lift descended, Murdoc absentmindedly tapping his foot to the tune. After a minute or two the lift doors opened, revealing a cold dark hallway. It smelled strongly of rust and seawater, and an occasional drip was heard in the background. They continued walking until Murdoc stopped in front of 2D's door.

"Oi, open that, will you?" he demanded.

2D nodded in response, turning the handle of the metal door. Murdoc strolled in, and roughly dumped Noodle down on the floor. "Oi! Watch it!" 2D exclaimed.

Murdoc shrugged. "She's a tough bird. Like a couple bruises will do anything." Stuart glared at the bassist, then kneeled next to Noodle. Her limbs were sprawled in an uncomfortable manner after been unceremoniously dumped, so he carefully put her in a more comfortable position.

"So… where is she gonna stay in my room for now?" 2D questioned, turning to face Murdoc.

"Got nowhere else to put her. And I'm sure as 'ell not carrying her down all those flights of steps to my secret room!"

2D tilted his head to the side. "Secret room?" he asked curiously.

Murdoc frowned. "Never mind that. But anyway, she's staying here for now. At least until she wakes up."

He turned and left the room, slamming the door. 2-D frowned as he heard the sound of locks clicking into place. The tosser. With a sigh, he sat on his bed, knees curled up to his chest. He did a quick double-check to make sure the curtains were closed, then turned to watch Noodle. _I 'ope she wakes up soon…_

About an hour or so later, just as he was dozing off, Noodle opened her eyes. "Noodle!" he exclaimed happily. She turned towards him, lips stretching into a grin.

"2D!" she sat up and observed her surroundings. "Where am I…?"

"You're in my room. On Plastic Beach."

Upon hearing this, she breathed a sigh of relief. "So, I did make it. Did Russel make it as well…?"

2D frowned. Russel was with her? "Um, we haven't seen him, no…"

The side of her face that was visible scrunched in worry. "I was afraid of that. We were trying to make it here to Plastic Beach, together, when an awful storm separated us… I was adrift for a day or two until I washed up here…"

The blue-haired singer tried to quickly think of something comforting to say. "I-I'm sure he'll be here soon. You managed to git here, didn't ya?" He smiled reassuringly.

Noodle smiled in return. "I know he will. Besides, he'll be hard to miss…" she chuckled to herself.

2D chuckled as well, although he didn't get it. "I'd bettah let Murdoc know you're awake. He'll be happy ta see ya. Well, as happy as someone like him 'kin get…"

"I'd like that…" Noodle said with apprehension in her voice. But before he could ask her what was wrong, she hopped up from the floor, brushing the sand from her dress . "Lead the way."

He nodded, then walked over to a corner of his room. On the wall there was a intercom. He raised a bony finger, pushing the green button. There was a burst of static, then Murdoc's voice came on. "Wot?" he demanded.

"Um… could'ya unlock my door? I need ta leave my room… Noodle's awake."

"Eh, woteveh." Murdoc grumbled. In his study he pushed a button that unlocked the door remotely.

Stu-Pot jumped at the click, then went to go open the door. He looked over his shoulder and motioned Noodle to follow. With a small nod she went to walk behind him.

2D and Noodle made their way to lift, making small talk about trivial things. Once in, 2D pushed the button marked "Study/Studio". Generic music played softly in background as the lift went up. Noodle squinted at the messily written graffiti written on the inside of the lift, managing to make out "today is the tomorrow they promised you yesterday" spray painted in blue. Cryptic. She wondered who wrote it…

Before she could contemplate further, the doors opened, revealing the study. Murdoc sat in a red wing-back chair, looking over various papers and muttering something. 2D cleared his throat, causing the green-skinned man to look up.

"What d'you want?" he asked, scowling.

"Well, um… Noodle's awake and… stuff." Stu-Pot said, pulling Noodle in front of him.

"Great. Why do'ya need to bother me about it?"

"W-well, ya haven't seen her in years, and we thought she might be dead 'n all… Don't ya have _something _to say?"

Murdoc shrugged. "Not really. I don't give a toss, and would prefer it you left my presence." He nodded towards Noodle. "Take her with ya as well."

2D nodded glumly started heading towards the lift. "Awright then, I guess. C'mon, Noodle…"

She shook her head. "Murdoc may not have something to say to me-"She raised her fist. "-But I have something to say to him." With a loud thwak, Noodle's fist met with the side of Murdoc's face. The impact threw him backwards, landing on his desk and toppling it over. Papers fluttered down as he put a hand to his injured face.

Murdoc looked at Noodle with a bewildered look. "Okay, first of all- Are you bloody mental, woman! And second- You said you would say something to me. You didn't. You socked me in the fucking face!"

She shrugged. "They say actions speak louder than words, right?" 2D watched the scene with his mouth agape.

"Why did you go and do that!" He said aghast. Not that he didn't thoroughly enjoy seeing him lying on ground, nursing his wound. He would try and remember this moment. But was concerned about what Murdoc would do to Noodle- Or _him_, for that matter.

She looked at Murdoc, a frown on her face. "He knows what that was for." She stormed past 2D, entering the lift and leaving without him.

He turned to look at Murdoc. "_Do _ya know wut that was for?"

"Not really. I suppose there's a number of things it could've been about…"

There was a small stretch of awkward silence between the two men. 2D feared that Murdoc would beat him up for Noodle's outburst anytime soon, so he made an attempt to start conversation.

"So… um… If you really don't care that Noodle's alive?" 2D said hesitantly.

"I dunno, I guess... In my personal opinion, Cyborg's a lot easier to manage. Does what I say. Doesn't question. Fetches me rum. " he said with a smile on his face, smug of his creation.

2D nodded, a small frown on his face. Murdoc looked at his expression and scoffed. "Wot? Did ya think I had a soft spot for the little git? You know me better than that. Honestly." He fixed the singer with a glare. "Now that I've told you wot you wanted to know, git **out**!"

"Yes!" 2D squeaked as he ran towards the lift. Murdoc waited a minute or so until he was gone, then moved to the intercom. Took him a bit to find it though, as it was knocked off his desk when it fell over. Once it was located, he pushed the green button.

"Oi! Cyborg! Wake up!" The sound of buzzing machinery could be heard on the other side.

"Murdoc, sir, what of my services do require?" Cyborg Noodle said in a cold, (female) mechanical voice.

"Git up here to my study. I got injuries that need treating."

"Yes. I will there shortly, sir." With a buzz and a click the intercom went silent.

With a huff of exertion, he picked up his desk and put it in the normal position. He also made an attempt to clean up the things and papers that were scattered about after Noodle's outburst. "Arg!" he groaned. The inkpot had toppled over, thoroughly soaking several papers in black. "She better hope that these weren't important…" Murdoc grumbled as he picked up two pages, dripping . Just as the papers were tossed in the rubbish bin, the lift doors opened, revealing Cyborg Noodle. She lifted up a white box she held in her hand.

"Medical supplies. Sit down so I can treat your injuries, sir."Murdoc nodded, sitting down in his chair. He pointed to the left side of his face.

"Hit me right here, she did. Hurt like 'ell." The cyborg began to inspect the injured area. He winced as her cold fingers brushed his skin. After a moment or two, the cyborg finished her analysis.

"It appears you will have severe bruising, and your left eye socket has a hair-line fracture. It should heal on its own, but I would be careful not to aggravate the injury. "

"Oh, too bad. I was hoping to be punched in the face again." Murdoc replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The cyborg titled her head at this. "But sir, that would be illogical. Why would you _wish_ to be injured again?"

Murdoc sighed. _Note to self: sarcasm lost on cyborg. _"Never mind. Just go back to your cupboard 'n charge or something. "

"Yes sir." Cyborg Noodle handed him an ice pack and walked out. Murdoc placed it on the side of his face, wincing at the cold.

Now that he was along with thoughts, he admitted it to himself. He _was_ glad Noodle was back. He hated how her being stuck in hell made him felt, hated the ragged feeling of disappointment at failing to rescue her. He hoped that her being back would make it go away. But… no. It was still there, tugging at his rarely used conscious. He was Murdoc Niccals for fucks sake! He didn't give a toss about some brat. Maybe it was simply the fact that he had known her since she was a little tyke... That she was like a niece. He prayed to Satan that no one would find out that her pain tugged at his heart in such an uncomfortable way.

* * *

Noodle sat on a small stretch of artificial grass, legs-crossed, and took a deep breath. She was regretting slugging Murdoc in the face. Well… not really, but still. She shouldn't need to resort to violence just to get a point across. She hadn't even attempted to talk it out… Argh! She wasn't supposed to be thinking! She tried to get her mind back to a state of calm. Tried to meditate. She used to be good at this…

Before she could even attempt to settle her thoughts, she heard the whine of an engine overhead. Eyes quickly opening, she craned her neck upwards and saw a jet overhead. The belly of the jet opened, a bomb falling out… And heading straight towards her.

* * *

2D was wondering why he was still chewing this gum. It had lost its flavor an hour ago, and was beginning to taste a bit awful. Yet he continued chomping away, in what could be considered an annoying manner… But there was no one to annoy. He went to his room after the incident with Murdoc and Noodle, and that had been… _How long ago? Maybe two hours or somefink? _He wondered idly. There was no clock in his room, so he relied on estimating. Although, 2D wasn't really the type of person to use a clock, even if one was available. He was rather oblivious to time… He sighed and swung his legs off the bed. Although, he wished to continue hiding and ignore the problem… It was best he go find Noodle.

The blue-haired man stood up, stretching, popping various joints. He began to make his way to the door- but was interrupted. Plastic Beach was rocked with tremors, powerful enough to reach to reach even 2D's room. He let out a high-pitched yelp and fell backwards, his head hitting a shelf on the way down.

"Wot- wots going on!" he exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. It was quite a nasty bump he received. _I'd betteh get me meds…_ He attempted to stand up but was knocked down by another set of tremors. After they died down, a sharp cracking sound was heard behind him. _Wot could 'at be?_

He turned behind him, facing his small viewing hole/window. A series of cracks appeared in spider web pattern on the glass. _Um… 'at can't be good… _The cracks widened, a small stream of water trickling in. _Really can't be good_… 2D began to edge towards the door. Before he could make it, the glass shattered.

Salty ocean water began pouring in an alarming rate. The water swirled around 2D's ankles as he frantically pushed the button on the intercom. "M-Muds! Open the door, let me out! I'm gonna drown!" he yelled. However, rather unfortunately for 2D, Murdoc was currently slumped over his desk in a rum-induced stupor. But as Stu-Pot was oblivious to this fact, he kept frantically shouting in the intercom. "Muds! Murdoc! Please! Ya can't let me drown! How can I sing with water-logged lungs, eh! Murdoc! MURDOC!"

Murdoc's eyelids twitched. He was having such a nice dream… Scantily-clad groupies and free booze everywhere… He raked his eyes over the selection of women, settling on a well-endowed strawberry blonde. He crooked a clawed finger at her. "C'mere, luv…" she giggled and walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Just as some wild snogging (and… um… _other things…) _was about to happen, he was rudely awakened.

"Murdooooc! Lemme out! Dun let me die! Who will do the vocaaaals!" Murdoc scrunched his face in confusion. _Waaaait a minute. What the fuck? Isn't that face-ache's voice?_ He opened his eyes. _Awww, wot happend?_

2D's screeching voice was heard from the intercom. "The watah's at me waist! My pants ah' all soggy! Lemme out!" Murdoc, half asleep, pushed the button to open the door. _Whatevah to get him to shut up... _He placed his head back at his desk, hoping to return to his dream.

2D's door opened, causing him and the water to rush out into the hallway. He hit the wall with a thump, bashing his left shoulder hard. "Ow…" he muttered. 2D shook it off and started to run towards the lift, his feet sloshing in the water. He had to find out what the hell was going on. The doors opened, and he ran quickly inside, mashing the button marked "ENTRANCE" repeatedly. The lift went up agonizingly slow. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…" he chanted. Finally in what seemed like_ ages_ later, the doors opened revealing the grungy entrance to Plastic Beach. He ran out onto the wooden ledge and down the stairs to the plastic shore.

He was suddenly very aware of the sound of gunfire. His mind went to Cyborg Noodle. He had begun to associate the sound of gunfire with that imitation. _Is she on a rampage or sumthink? _He wondered. _Maybe she's finally gone haywire…_

However, 2D was wrong. He looked up and saw pirate jets circling the island, shooting bullets as though they were limitless. He also noticed two large burned out pieces of metal, a good hundred yards away from each other. _Bombs?_ He concluded that they caused the shaking earlier. Now, with that mystery solved, he wondered why an array of fighter pirate jets was here…

While he was pondering this, one of the pilots noticed the arrival of the blue-haired man. The pilot's mouth stretched into a crooked grin as he aimed his turrets on this new person. He fired away.

2D didn't notice he was being shot at until one of the hot bullets grazed his cheek. "Cripes!" he exclaimed as he slapped a hand over his wound. He stood, horribly frightened as more bullets rained down on him.

"2D! Move!" someone with a heavy Japanese accent cried. Noodle came running out of nowhere, tackling 2D. He let out a small cry of pain as his injured cheek collided with the ground. She might have apologized in other circumstances, but she had pirate jets to fight.

She moved herself and 2D to hide behind a giant rock. Noodle turned towards him. After knocking 2D to the ground, the string of her mask had untied, revealing the right side of her face red and bruised. It looked though some blood vessels had burst in her right eye as well.

His eyes widened. "Noodle, your fa-"she put a white-gloved hand his mouth.

"Not now. Tell me, do you have any weapons?"

"Wepinsh?" he said into her glove.

"To fight the pirates, smart one." Generally Noodle was patient with the often slow singer, but being shot at can stress a person out. 2D nodded and she removed her hand.

"There's sum in Cyborg's cupboard."

She nodded. Although she wasn't quite certain what the cyborg was…. "Lead me to there."

2D grabbed her hand, and they started running towards the entrance. Dodging bullets along the way, they made it to the lift. He pushed the appropriate button and leaned against the graffiti marked interior. Closing his eyes, he slowly breathed in and out. This whole thing was nerve-wracking. It caused his head to throb. He reached into jeans (still a bit soggy) and pulled out the clear orange pill bottle. He shook out two green and white pills, swiftly popping them into his mouth. 2D was very tempted to just curl up in ball and fall asleep on the floor of the lift… His eyelids, suddenly very heavy, slid shut.

Noodle watched as 2D's eyes closed, and his breathing deepened. It amused her that he could fall asleep standing up, even in the midst of a battle. She leaned closer, her gloved fingers brushing against the cut on his cheek. It was an angry red, with grains of sand in the cut. She certainly didn't help the wound by shoving it against the ground. Reaching into the pocket of her dress, she pulled out a small first-aid it. She took out a little tube of anti-bacteria cream, and applied it to the wound. The little grains of sand still needed to be removed, but for now this would prevent against infection. She looked in the kit for a band-aid, which, for some unknown reason, were all bright neon colors. Settling on a neon pink one, she put it over the cut. 2D continued to sleep, a light snore escaping his lips.

Finally the lift doors opened, revealing the basement. The noise of the doors opening caused 2D to wake up, Noodle just inches from his face. "Ah!" he exclaimed, scooting back. His cheeks warmed as he thought of situations that called for being that close to someone. "Er… Luv…" he mumbled.

"Sorry, did I startle you? I was just attending to your wound." She said; lightly touching the neon pink band-aid on his face to emphasize.

"Oh… O' course, that's what you 'er doing…" He turned his head, praying she wouldn't figure out what he was thinking.

"Besides, what else did you think I was doing?" she innocently questioned.

Damn her insightfulness. "Nothing luv, nothing… "He hoped that answer would satisfy her. "Anyway, Noodle's cupboard-"she gave him a confused look. "Er… _Cyborg's_ cupboard is this way. Follow me." 2D began to navigate through the basement, stepping over tangled wires and thick cords. Some of them sparked as they stepped over them, burning a small hole Noodle's stocking.

"Aaand here's our destination." He said, motioning to set of red double-doors. Noodle moved to open it, then stopped. She felt a strange sense of trepidation…

"Wot 'cha waitn' for, luv?" he questioned. Noodle shook her head, ignoring the warnings her instincts were sending her. _Stop_ _wasting time!_ She thought. _Just open the doors. _Turning the handle, she stepped inside, the smell of gun powder and oil assaulting her. Going further in and motioning for 2D to follow, she inspected the shelves. There were enough weapons stockpiled to supply a small army! She spotted a dark green canvas bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Stu, grab as many weapons as you can." Noodle instructed as she began loading up her bag with grenades and ammunition. 2D looked around the small room, biting his lip. The choices overwhelmed him, not sure what half the weapons even did. Seeing the singer's confusion, Noodle grabbed the deadliest gun that she thought 2D could carry and shoved it in his arms. She began to turn her attention back to the shelves when he tugged lightly at her red scarf.

"But, Noodle, I dun even know how to use it! I've nevah had ta fire a gun before." His expression was filled with anxiety, and the pills he swallowed earlier hadn't kicked in yet. His headache was almost at migraine level.

"Make sure the safety isn't off, point, and shoot." She said while turning back to shelf. She picked up a deadly looking shotgun(aSPAS-12 to precise), annoyed by how comfortable it felt to hold it. Growing up in a military compound will do that. Sighing, she dropped two handguns into the bag, strapping another to her thigh. Now all she needed was some shotgun shells… But she couldn't appear to find them. It was rather dark in the room, so she looked for a light switch. "Aha!" she exclaimed happily upon finding it. Quickly flicking it up, she turned to look for the shells and gasped.

She was face-to-face with herself. It wasn't an exact replica of her, looking a year or two younger. No bruise around the eye, no breasts, and just the tiniest bit shorter. Exposed metal gleamed from a bullet hole on its right temple. She also noticed its unconscious state, dozens of cords plugged into its body. The faintly gold shine of shotgun shells shone behind it, forcing her to brush against the strange replica and grab them. She slung the belt of shells across her chest, making an "x" with the bag strap. "2D… what is this?" She questioned quietly.

"Um… that's tha cyborg replica of you. We call her Cyborg Noodle, or just Cyborg. Sometimes Murdoc just calls her Noodle…" 2D mumbled, awkwardly shifting the heavy gun his arms. "He had her built almost as soon as he thought of makin' anotha album. Usin' the DNA from the El Mañana crash site, or somefink. She's also his bodyguard. "Noodle stared at the gun her hands, processing the information, deciding whether or not to pummel Murdoc into a bloody pulp. "He thought you were gone for good, Noodle…" He added, slightly defending the bassist. Nobody deserved the full-on wrath of Noodle.

She frowned, holding the gun in a firing position and heading toward the door. "I'll mull this over later. We have priorities for now, such as defending the island." She said, exiting the room. 2D quickly followed as she made her way to the lift, stepping inside and jamming her finger against the "entrance" button. He slid in just before the doors closed, holding the gun to his chest. They stood in silence as the lift went up. He peeked a sideways look at her, her face expressionless. Realizing that he hadn't really had time to look at her since she arrived, his eyes trailed down her body. She did indeed have (albeit small) breasts now, the slightest curve to her hips, and stocking-clad legs that were ever-so-slightly longer. She was a beauty. Well, not that she wasn't lovely before. He just would have classified her as "cute" rather than beautiful…

"2D, why are you staring at me?" She questioned, making him jump at being caught. He shifted a bit, embarrassed.

"Er… how could tell?" He said with a sheepish grin. His black eyes usually meant that it was near impossible to tell where he was looking. He recalled a couple of times during photo shoots when he was supposed to be profile and looking to the side, but nobody could tell. Jamie made him where contacts that made his eyes look normal for those occasions. He contemplated wearing them all time, as it would be nice to have normal eyes, but Murdoc said it would ruin his image. Plus they stung and itched like crazy…

2D snapped out of his reminiscing when he realized Noodle was talking. "…The light" she continued, "that shines off your eyes sorta shimmers when you move them. Depending on which way you're looking, the shine is different. I don't think the surface of your eyes are completely even." She said, smiling. He nodded in response. Noodle pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, looking at the graffiti on the walls. "I guess you just notice these things when living with someone long enough..." she added as an afterthought. Realizing he hadn't answered her earlier question, he opened his mouth to reply and tell her why he was staring. Before a word got the lift doors opened. He could clearly see her shift to battle mode, her mouth turning into a determined frown. Bolting out of the doors and on to the beach, she raised the shotgun and cocked it, aiming for the jets above her.

With deadly accuracy, she took out the key component that made the jet fly. It began smoking and spiraled to ground, crashing on the island with a small explosion. 2D finally caught up to her and stood a few feet away, raising the gun. Hands trembling slightly, he placed the wing of a jet in the crosshairs. Shutting one eye and squeezing the trigger, the shot fired. The bullet barely grazed it, and recoil made him stumble. This was going to be harder than he thought… He turned his head to look at Noodle, hoping to visually pick up some tips. He couldn't help but notice how she looked like Cyborg at the moment, even wearing the same expression. She fired off another round at the pirates, moving her hand to grab more ammo. Discovering that the shotgun shells had been used up, she tossed the gun to the side and grabbed a grenade from her bag. She pulled the pin with her teeth, throwing it at the pirate. It smashed through the windshield and into cockpit. Acting on reflexes the pilot caught it; only realizing what it was as it exploded.

2D felt a bit sick as he watched blood and organs splatter on the glass, the jet crashing into the sea. _Now __**That's**__ what you call a fem fatale… _He thought with a shudder. A pirate jet dipped dangerously closed to him and he fired on reflex, somehow damaging it enough that it smashed into the side of the island. Confidence boosting slightly at taking one down, he raised his gun to fire at more. Searching the sky through the scope, he realized none were to be found. Did Noodle get them all? As though hearing him think her name, she jogged to where he was standing.

She placed a hand on his arm and smiled. "We got them all, Stu. It was a relatively small fleet, maybe 5 or 6. We got lucky." 2D breathed a sigh of relief, glad the danger was gone. Well, for _now_ at least. "C'mon, let's go back inside-" She stopped midsentence, tilting her head. Did she hear the sound of fabric being dragged against uneven plastic…? Whipping around, she saw a Pirate lying on the ground, legs broken, feebly pulling himself towards them. Eyes widening at the sight of the girl who killed all his companions, he pulled a gun from his jacket and aimed. Unfortunately for him Noodle was quicker, pulling out the gun strapped to her thigh and firing before his finger found the trigger. The bullet pierced the center of his forehead, blood splattering her and 2D.

The singer stood, mouth agape, as blood pooled beneath the dead pirate's head. He looked over at his friend with wide eyes. She… she had killed him without even blinking. What happened to the young girl that couldn't kill spiders? He recalled an afternoon at Kong…

_Noodle burst into the living room, searching for something. Spotting the blue-haired singer on the couch, she ran over and grabbed his arm. "Stu! Stu!" she exclaimed. _

_2D turned to look at her with a grin. "Wot is it, darlin'?" She bit her lip, and brushed away her purple fringe. _

"_Would you please kill a spider for me? It's above my bed, and it's __**huge**__!" She said while stretching her arms apart to the limit, demonstrating the size._

_He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Sure, sure." _

_Once in Noodle's room, her grabbed three or four tissues and stood on her bed, trying to find the little bugger. Looking to left he found it, a common house spider, about one twentieth of the size that Noodle described it as. He quickly wrapped the layers of tissues around it and squashed it, tossing the ball of tissues and spider guts into the rubbish bin. Noodle extended a hand to help him off the bed, which he took. Once he was one the ground he let go of her hand, thanking her for the help. He turned to leave the room when a thought occurred to him._

"_E' Noodle, why are yew afraid of spiders? You can kill zombies no problem…" He said, putting his finger on his chin thoughtfully. Noodle raised her head to look at him._

"_You you see, spiders just… ah… have this __**texture**__. A horrible squishy crunchiness that makes me shudder when I squish them. Also, I'm afraid they'll escape my attempt to kill them and possibly crawl on me or return with a bitter vengeance. "She said while fidgeting with her hands, a little embarrassed at her silly fear. 2D just smiled at patted her head._

"_Everyone's afraid of somefink, Noods. No need to be embarrassed!" He said with a missing-toothed grin. Noodle smiled in return, giving him a hug._

"_Aw, thanks 2D." Noodle said happily. He nodded, smiled, and made his way to the door. One foot left when room when Noodle exclaimed "Oh! And thank you very much for killing the spider!"_

"_Anytime, luv." He said with a wink, then left the room._

2D was drawn back from his memory as Noodle pulled on his arm, leading him back to entrance. He decided to voice his opinion about the dead pirate sprawled on the ground. "Eh… Noodle… I was bit suhprized at how easy yew killed him, ya know? I mean… a living person is different from a zombie, ya?" He said, biting his lip and hoping the opinion wouldn't get him yelled at.

He heard her sigh and saw her shoulders slump. "Well… it's not like I enjoy killing, but sometimes it needs to be done. They were all murderers with horrendous morals. I'm not saying this gives me a right to kill them… But it's kill or be killed, and there's nothing I can do to change that. I hope you understand." They had walked to the lift, and Noodle turned to face him. "You _do_ understand, right?"

He looked at her. Noodle: His best buddy, kick-ass guitarist, martial art expert, and… killing machine, if needed. "Ya. I understand. "2D said, smiling. He bent down and hugged her; Noodle returned the hug with a grip that could break his ribs. "N-Noodle… Air…." He gasped. She broke away, smiling apologetically.

"Sorry. Still have a bit an adrenaline rush, forgot my strength." She turned and stepped into the lift, 2D following. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the "Study-Studio" button. He raised an eyebrow at her choice. "Well, someone needs to tell him about the damage to Plastic Beach. Also… I should probably… you know, apologize. For hitting him in the face and stuff." She said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Psh, apologize? In my personal opinion, he needs ta be punched in the face more often." He said with a matter-of-fact nod, causing Noodle to giggle. She looped an arm around his, grateful to have her friend back.

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Ah, sort of a short chapter. Hopefully the next ones will be longer. Thanks for reading, hugs to the people who comment!

Love, Radioactive-Kinkajou


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